Welcome

Welcome to the POZ/AIDSmeds Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and
others concerned about HIV/AIDS. Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the
conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning: Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive
and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a
username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own
physician.

All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators
of these forums. Click here for “Am I Infected?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ/AIDSmeds community forums.

We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please
provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are
true and correct to their knowledge.

Author
Topic: Do we fatigue faster with HIV? (Read 7601 times)

Its been awhile since I have been on here, but I was at work last night and have just been wondering.....I know right now I am in not bad health, my cd 4 is up to 214 and I am undetectable now. I am on atripla and have known of my status since last may.

I work 3rd shift and my job has been very demanding lately, I work 12 hour shifts, 6-7 days a week and I am on my feet 95% of the time, so naturally anyone would become tired after awhile with a schedule like this. I am just wondering if we tire or fatigue easier with having HIV than if we did not?

I know I have been aggravated with not being able to workout to my full potential. My HIV Dr says it has to do with all I have been thru the last year or so and my #'s are still low. My immune system being under attack and etc....bla bla bla...you know.

So do we tire or fatigue easier you think, just in every day life and working? Sometimes at work lately I almost feel like passing out I am so tired but I refuse to let this get the best of me. I play it up to just working alot and etc,

I have been reading you're posts today and your situation is a lot like mine. Age, low CD4, Schedule, etc.

About 6 months before I was diagnosed with HIV, I started to get same symptoms as you described. I work at night, and by the end of my shift, I would have my head on the desk. I was also depressed overall, and could not figure out why. I went to a bunch of specialists and everything checked okay.

Anyway, I was feeling weaker and weaker, and knew I was not crazy. Finally, I developed mild Thrush, which prompted me to go to the ID doctor and get tested. Like you I had a very low CD4 and high VL.

My ID doctor assured me that the virus was causing many of my symptoms. The CD4 being low should not effect the way I feel. Since starting the Atripla, I am feeling overall better, but I am tired a lot of the time so I push myself. Working the night shift sucks though, especially because you need you're sleep.

Maybe in you're case like you're doc said, it's because what you have been through, but I wonder.

When I first joined this site I asked pretty much the same question, and someone answered (not totally tongue in cheek) "Ah yes: fatigue. Welcome to your new life-long friend..."

Exhaustion is a subject that has been discussed a lot here, and obviously affects many of us. When I started Atripla I had a real surge of energy; but now that has tailed off and - probably like many other pozzies - I just have to habour my energy.

Short answer, it seems to affect everyone differently. But it may be that you too have to make sure that you don't run yourself into the ground.

Consider what your body has been through in the past 12 months -- your immune system wasn't just weak, it was basically shot. Then you go on heavy duty medication, and your body slowly begins the process of reconstituting your immune system. This is all a LOT of work for any one body to accomplish, so then you layer on the fact that you work weird hours, and you're working seven days a week, add in a bit of depression about all of this, maybe some boyfriend problems and/or family stuff and other just general life stress and well, is it any wonder you're really tired? Part of the problem may be in accepting these limitations for a couple of years and adjusting your work schedule, etc.

Depending on how bad you really think it is, maybe you should hit your doctor up for some Adderall as I know some people here swear by it in such situations. Some doctors, however, don't like to dole it out. If you really want it you're going to have to make your case.

The bottom line is that you can't really expect much else when you didn't get diagnosed until your cd4 was in double-digit land. It is what it is.

I work 3rd shift and my job has been very demanding lately, I work 12 hour shifts, 6-7 days a week and I am on my feet 95% of the time, so naturally anyone would become tired after awhile with a schedule like this. I am just wondering if we tire or fatigue easier with having HIV than if we did not?

So do we tire or fatigue easier you think, just in every day life and working?

What do you think?

Hi,

To answer your question, yes we do tire more easily, and fatigue at times can be overwhelming.

You must have a hell of a lot of drive. I don't know how you do it, and to be on your feet 95 % of the time.

I also work the 3rd shift. I am also 58 years old. But I only work 8 hours a day five days a week. and yes, it gets very tough at times. The last hour and a half of each shift shows on me. This 3rd shift in itself, is not a healthy shift to work. There's been a lot of studies on those of us that work this shift. It can really mess with us.

I was working this 11-7, when my t-cells were at 16, I never missed any time, and when I look back at it, I really don't know how I did it.

I've mentioned this before, I used to work in maintenance, back in 2003, which was a total struggle for me, especially when my numbers were so bad. Then, Neuropathy hit me, and I couldn't be on my feet any more, and do my work in that department.

I was very lucky in October of 2004, to get a desk job (same 11:00 to 7:00 shift) , But I had to take a drastic cut in pay. The good thing was, I got to keep the company insurance, and all the benefits. I was working to keep my insurance, and my insurance was keeping me working.

I have to agree though, your body has been through a lot, and is still recovering. I know, I've been there. You may have these issues of fatigue for a long time, in fact, the fatigue may get a little less, but it is something your going to have to deal with, for a long time.

My work week is Sunday through Thursday. By the time I get out of work Friday morning at 7:00. I am pooped ( that's a mild description) Friday is spent in bed most of the day, and it's not like even having a day off. Saturday is really my only day off, and if I get up at 7:00 am Saturday morning, I am ready for a deep nap, by 2:00 in the afternoon. It sucks !!

Is there a way you can cut down your hours some? You may have to seriously consider this. Believe me, I know how tough this is for you.

I think HIV is definitely something that taxes our strength, especially when your body is recovering from a serious immune nose dive. Think about when you're sick with say the flu and the week after you're so weak all the time? Imagine a longer term version of that and that's kind of how I see it. I'm stronger than I was but I'm still missing tons of energy and I know my limits.

I think we do fatigue faster with HIV. For the longest time I would get tired, then dizzy all while going through my day at 1000mph. At first I chalked it up to stress and my job and just accepting it as normal this was of course prediagnosis. Now I know that because I was sick and still recovering why I feel rundown. I remember how I felt in my 20s, I could work all day all night, Get up at 4 quit at 10:30 at night. Now in the early part of the day I still feel that way but by 3 in the afternoon I'm done. I get home I have no energy but just force my way through the rest of the day. Unfortunately I own a business and for me there is no escaping it. I find myself working from 7:30 to at times 10:00. After a day like that the next day is hell. Also I believe the virus messes with your brain, I find I have to work much harder at remembering things. When I was sick with cold/bronchitis I missed two credit card payments, Ive never been late before in my life since having credit cards! But since starting meds and the virus in check I do feel better. I find I have a days where it feels like a valve of energy opened up for a couple of hours. I like it when I feel like that again, stuff gets done!

I'm too tired to respond I have noticed that I get tired quicker - by the end of the workday (7:30 am - 4:30 pm) I am exhausted - yawn all the way home.I also used to be able to stay awake late on the weekends and hang out, etc. -- now, on the rare occasions I do that, I feel horrible for a day or two after.

I have also been working a heck of a lot more than I usually do in the past couple of weeks and have noticed I seem more exhausted than I have a few years ago. My job is physically demanding and I am probably on my feet 95% of the time. I try not to over do it, but sometimes there is just no choice. I am thankful my job is flexible with my doctor's appointments and the lab work that I need to continually get done.

definitely. I don't feel my energy level is quite what it was as recently as 5 years ago. Granted, I'm 5 years older but still...oh, and somewhat regular bouts with the flu and now bronchitis (been bed-ridden for 3 days now) doesn't help my energy level...

While on a trip during the holidays, I noticed I would poop out around 8pm and the 60 year-old family members were still up for going out.

Is this inevitable regardless of being on meds or not? Does it depend on when HAART was started and how much immune damage was done? I'm sure it does. I read stories where HIVers are doing Iron Man, climbing mountains, etc. I guess it depends on the person, depression, or possible thyroid/testosterone issues?

Right on my friend, I think after the initial medication side effects wear off, it's all about forcing yourself to do things and not be so stressed thinking about being tired. Unless you have a health issue, continue to force yourself and you will feel back to normal in a short time.

Hey guyYou're stats history is close to mine. Its been 4.5 years now and i can say YES!!! one does feel a lot less energy and less stamina. But things will get better as your counts reach over 300, and 400. Remaining undetectable is the whole game plan. Just be good to yourself and realize your new limits. I work 12 hour nights also, and it can get very stressful. Add in trying to sleep during the day and say hello zombieland at work. I finally had to get sleeping pills, AMBIEN CR. The Non-CR ambien whacked me out too much and failed to work a full 8 hours. The CR makes a huge difference (time release), but more costly. No generic for the ambien CR, just for the non CR. What a crock.

Just keep in mind your still in recovery mode and must take it easy on yourself. Despite what others expect from you, put yourself and your health first.

I had a bad day today. I just felt so tired all day. I came home and got in the recliner to watch TV. I could not stay awake. I kept falling asleep. I would wake up again and then fall back asleep. I would start a show on TIVO and then wake up realizing the show was over. I would restart the show and the same thing happened. I think I restarted the same show like 4 times before giving up.

Most of the time, I think I feel pretty good--well, not as good as before HIV, but pretty good considering. However, a couple times a month I have days like these. I've asked my neg friends whether they have days like these. They told me they only have them when they haven't slept very well, but they said that is rare for them to be so tired that they can't stay awake all day long.

So, I guess when I have days like today, the virus must be getting the upper hand on those days and causing me to be so tired. Besides being so physically tired, it causes me to feel like I'm in a fog. I'm hoping I feel better tomorrow. If this becomes a regular thing, I would think it would be time to consider meds. I've been noticing I want to sleep more and don't want to get up in the morning. This is a big change from last summer when I would wake up early and ready to get going.

So I've actually returned to working for my family (3 days last week and 4 days this coming week) and I'm thinking I'm at my limit for the moment. I'm absolutely exhausted at the end of each day so I suppose I'm still building strength at this point. I used to work 6 days a week 10+ hour days with very little in the way of down time in between them. Just hoping I can get back to some semblance of a 40 hour work week within the next few months, because it sucks being broke and bored at home.

I've always avoided Mississippi cuz I thought it was still a slave state. What kind of work do you do? Sweet ice-tea in one hand and a whip in the other?

We own fields of purest snowy white cotton.

I kid.

We have a restaurant. I was actually looking for some work that wouldn't have me on my feet all day long, but the job market is pretty bad right now. Especially considering I have to justify a 9 month period where I wasn't working to potential employers without spilling the viral beans.

So I've actually returned to working for my family (3 days last week and 4 days this coming week) and I'm thinking I'm at my limit for the moment. I'm absolutely exhausted at the end of each day so I suppose I'm still building strength at this point. I used to work 6 days a week 10+ hour days with very little in the way of down time in between them. Just hoping I can get back to some semblance of a 40 hour work week within the next few months, because it sucks being broke and bored at home.

Just wanted to thank you publicly for thinking of me and sending me a PM after my post about fatigue. After reading your post, it reminds me others are experiencing fatigue much worse. I wish you much energy to get back to full-time work like you want. 60 hours a week? Wow! You have a good work ethic--too good.

At least it does me and some others I know that take it. The lack of good quality sleep, as a side-effect of the meds, is why I often feel more fatigued. If I get a really good night's sleep, I have plenty of energy for someone about to enter their mid-fifties. On those extremely rare occurrences when I've forgotten to take my Sustiva, I wake up feeling REALLY good... and I know I've missed the dose. This has only happened two or three times in seven years so I guess I'm doing pretty well... but I can really see how many just like to skip a dose every now and then.

I do that kind of thing all the time. Then, having lugged the bags home, I can plunge into several hours of cooking. But I do have fatigue. It tends to kick in whenever I'm confronted by something I don't enjoy doing--like cleaning my apartment.

I do that kind of thing all the time. Then, having lugged the bags home, I can plunge into several hours of cooking. But I do have fatigue. It tends to kick in whenever I'm confronted by something I don't enjoy doing--like cleaning my apartment.

The quacking chicks on "The View" had a doc on who said allergies cause many to be fatigued. I know this has been a bad allergy season. I never thought about allergies causing ya to be tired. I knew meds for allergies could do that, but not allergies itself. I guess it makes sense though--your body is dealing with something it sees as an invader.